Nelson Malave

Nelson Malave, 84, died Sunday at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital after a brief illness.

Nelson was born in 1937 in Puerto Rico, and grew up in a house without running water. His father, Tirso would joke that he became an American by an act of Congress (Jones Act, 1917).

Nelson lived and worked in New Jersey, Puerto Rico and Pennsylvania. Nelson spent his life chasing several different paths to the American dream: he worked as a carpenter, general contractor, salesman and later vice president of an insurance company, as a community organizer heavily involved in national and regional politics, and started and ran several businesses. For the few decades until retirement he ran a company he founded, Marble Magic, which restored floors, altars, statues, homes, churches and landmarks like the DuPont Hotel and Statue of Liberty.

During his rollercoaster ride through the American economy, Nelson always kept true to his values of integrity and honestly and treated everyone with the same warmth and respect, rich or poor, virtuous or criminal. Nelson and Judy were married for 41 years. They had three sons, Vicente, Daniel and Joshua. Daniel's wife of 10 years, Lindsay (the "little one") had a special place in Nelson's heart. Nelson also has children from previous marriages: Nelson, Deborah, Leonard and Diana, Tirso and Juan Carlos.

He is also survived by his siblings, Carlos Malave, Will Roger Malave, Blanca Pettitone, Linda Malave-Rasche and Lillian Ford; and many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, nieces and nephews, and extended family and friends.

He was preceded in death by his sister, Nivia Maldonado.

A celebration of life memorial service will be held at a later date. Arrangements entrusted to the John F. Glinsky Funeral Home, Inc., Throop.